City God

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	City God (城隍)
Alias(es)	County City God; Capital City God
Species/Race	Orthodox God / Deity
Affiliation	Divine Path; regional Shinto pantheon
Occupation/Role	Regional deity responsible for Shinto authority, spiritual adjudication, and the protection of human believers within its jurisdiction
Status	Active divine position; its final documented tier is Principal Fifth Rank 379
First Appearance	88

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Subordinate Seventh Rank — County City God	156	Li Yue ascends from Orthodox Land God to City God, gaining a twentieth-fold expansion of jurisdiction, a Level 1 Underworld Dharma Domain, and twelve Subordinate God positions. His strength reaches the middle of the Ninth Order. 156
Principal Seventh Rank — City God	227	Li Yue is identified as a Principal Seventh Rank deity when he first leaves his jurisdiction to enter God Ruins Mountain; doing so reduces a deity's strength. 227
Subordinate Sixth Rank — City God	260	Several City God arts evolve, including Orthodox God Heavenly Eye into City God Divine Eye and City God Manifestation into Second Divine Body. 260
Principal Sixth Rank — City God	294	Li Yue refines the Five Elements Rotation Divine Light Technique for a month and promotes, greatly increasing his combat power. 294
Subordinate Fifth Rank — Capital City God	335	Li Yue becomes the first Subordinate Fifth Rank deity of the era and expands his jurisdiction over the Great Chen Imperial Dynasty; he later declares himself the Capital City God of the Great Zhen Heavenly Dynasty. 335 337
Principal Fifth Rank — Final City God tier	379	Li Yue reaches the Principal Fifth Rank, identified as the final tier of the City God divine position. 379

Background

A City God is the regional advancement of the Shinto system beyond the Land God. Land Gods govern villages and towns, while City Gods govern the authority within city walls and establish a regional Shinto system in their own right. In the absence of an overarching Heavenly Court or Underworld, a City God gathers the area’s Shinto authority into itself. 88

The office is closely tied to the Human Path. A core place of worship must first become a county before its deity can become a County City God; Li Yue also notes that a County City God normally requires at least 200,000 human believers. 147

After Four Seas Town becomes Four Seas County, Li Yue ascends to the position of Orthodox City God. His jurisdiction expands to twenty counties, and he begins building a complete pantheon around the City God Temple and Underworld Dharma Domain. 156

Appearance

Li Yue’s City God form is marked by black-and-gold ceremonial regalia and an imposing divine presence. His City God statue stands nine zhang tall in the main hall of the City God Temple. 156

• Wears a City God Robe of black and gold. 156 179
• Bears a City God Crown. 156 179
• Holds the City God Register and the Book of Life and Death. 156
• His divine body can enlarge into a thousand-foot giant, with golden radiance and lotus flowers accompanying his descent. 247

Authority and Abilities

Regional Shinto Authority

A City God commands the Shinto affairs of a city or county and serves as the foundation of a regional pantheon.

• Jurisdiction strengthens with population and believers, who provide a continuing source of Divine Power. 156
• Li Yue’s initial City God jurisdiction covers 2,000 square kilometers and supports twelve Subordinate God positions. 156
• The office unifies Yin and Yang spiritual authority rather than separating Yin spirits from Yang spirits. 156
• A City God is especially difficult to destroy within its Divine Domain; Li Yue states that he will not perish so long as his Divine Domain survives. 159

Reincarnation and Spiritual Judgment

City Gods can commune with the cycle of reincarnation. Li Yue possesses an additional sliver of the Authority of Samsara, allowing him to control human reincarnation within his jurisdiction. 121 159

• The Book of Life and Death allows appointed judges to record verdicts with the Divine Pen. 156
• Souls collected by Ghost Messengers enter the City God Mansion for review. 157
• The virtuous are rewarded, the wicked are punished, and humans with service to the Human Path may be granted divinity. 157
• Souls are sent onward to Eternal God City for reincarnation after review. 157

Samsara Grinding Disc

The Samsara Grinding Disc is the ultimate weapon formed after an Orthodox City God communes with reincarnation. 159

• Condenses inside the Divine Domain from an ancient gray aura covered in inscriptions. 159
• Its power exceeds what a deity can normally exert within its jurisdiction. 159
• Can only be used inside the Divine Domain, requiring enemies to be drawn within it. 159

City God Manifestation

City God Manifestation is a Subordinate Seventh Rank divine art that functions as an expendable avatar. 180 181

• A manifestation can kill enemies despite not being Li Yue’s true body. 180
• It can be recreated after damage without backlash to Li Yue. 181
• Li Yue can create multiple manifestations at once. 181
• At Subordinate Sixth Rank, it evolves into the Second Divine Body, which can store Divine Power but requires ten million strands of Divine Power to manifest. 260

Twelve Departments

The City God’s pantheon is organized through twelve departments operating from the Underworld Dharma Domain and City God Mansion. 156 157

• The Underworld Dharma Domain is intended as the underworld counterpart to the mortal City God Temple. 156
• Deng Jiu'e serves in the Merit and Fault Department, Li Xiuqi in the Sin and Evil Department, and Zhang Ronggui in the Blessings Department in acting capacities. 157
• Completing the Twelve Departments gives Li Yue’s divine lineage an administrative foundation and a role in reincarnation. 157

Equipment and Structures

• City God Robe and City God Crown — transformed from Li Yue’s former Land God Vestments and Land God Crown upon ascension. 156
• City God Register — transformed from the Land God Register. 156
• Book of Life and Death — used by appointed judges to record spiritual verdicts. 156
• Divine Pen — writes judgments into the Book of Life and Death. 156
• City God Mansion — underworld court where souls are reviewed before reincarnation. 157
• Nine Mountains City God Heavenly Mansion — special structure that grants Subordinate Gods daily Divine Power according to rank and expands the Underworld Dharma Domain ten-thousandfold. 241

Relationships

• Li Yue / Lord Zhangyue — documented holder of the City God position, advancing from County City God to Capital City God and ultimately the final City God tier. 156 335 379
• Li Youming — Temple Keeper granted authority to govern the City God Mansion; later oversees temple affairs and the conferral of divinity. 159 233
• Deng Jiu'e — acting official of the Merit and Fault Department within the City God Mansion. 157
• Li Xiuqi — acting official of the Sin and Evil Department. 157
• Zhang Ronggui — acting official of the Blessings Department. 157

Story Role / Major Arcs

Establishment of Four Seas County

Li Yue turns Four Seas Town into Four Seas County, creating the Human Path foundation necessary to become a County City God. 147

Ascension to City God

Li Yue becomes an Orthodox City God at Subordinate Seventh Rank, gains jurisdiction over twenty counties, and begins forming the Twelve Departments. 156

Creation of the City God Mansion

Li Yue upgrades the Underworld Dharma Domain and constructs the City God Mansion as a court for the dead, assigning Land Gods to begin administrative work within three departments. 157

Reincarnation Authority

After communing with reincarnation, Li Yue forms the Samsara Grinding Disc, solidifying the City God position’s underworld authority. 159

Suppression of Evil Specters

Li Yue’s City God Manifestation annihilates the Black God Society President’s avatar and later destroys a Subordinate Seventh Rank Evil Specter despite operating through a manifestation. 179 180

Capital City God and Final Tier

Li Yue expands his jurisdiction to encompass the Great Chen Imperial Dynasty, acts as the Capital City God of the Great Zhen Heavenly Dynasty, and eventually reaches Principal Fifth Rank—the final City God tier. 335 337 379